


Lake Pebbles and Tiny Mugs

by Tea_is_Not_Them



Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Butterfly Tim Stoker, Fairy Tale Elements, Fluffy, Found Family, Frog Martin blackwood, Meet-Cute, Moth Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist, Mushroom Sasha James, No Angst, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-04
Updated: 2020-12-04
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:07:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27881961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tea_is_Not_Them/pseuds/Tea_is_Not_Them
Summary: Martin, Sasha, Jon, and Tim are all fairies, and they all love each other dearly as friends. Follow them through knitting and pottery and tea kettles.
Relationships: Martin Blackwood & Sasha James & Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist & Tim Stoker, hinted Jonathan Sims/Martin Blackwood, hinted Tim Stoker/Sasha James
Comments: 6
Kudos: 45





	Lake Pebbles and Tiny Mugs

**Author's Note:**

> THIS IS FOR MY LOVELY FRIENDS SASHA, we were talking about this au idea I had, and when they said it was cute I had motivation to write it!! So I may write more, but right now I really love them
> 
> Socials  
> insta: tea_is_not_them  
> Tiktok: teaisnotthem  
> Tumblr: tea-is-not-them

Insides a seemingly empty log, encrowned by mushrooms and fungus, there lived a small mushroom woman. Her name was Sasha, and she had long curly brown hair and a mushroom cap upon her head. With a necklace made of river pebbles, she sat at her fire stove and hummed. There were little windows made of fractals of glass that were left behind by beer bottles and human inconsideration. A wind chime made of shells, a long ways from their home on the beach and strung together with bracelet string. 

Sasha James smiled, as the door to her log home opened to her friend Martin. Martin Blackwood was a frog fairy, and he wore a corduroy jacket over a hand crocheted sweater. Green freckles shined in the midday sun, before he closed the door behind him. Sasha waved.

“Hey Martin what's up!” She said, and Martin took his shoes off out of courtesy. 

He hummed briefly before tapping his finger on his chin as if debating to tell her the details, “Hi! While on my tea run I met the strangest fellow today. How about you?”

The tiny table was stolen from a children’s playset, it was the only thing that would fit their tiny house, and their small stature. Martin sat at the table tapping his webbed finger on the table, and Sasha gestured to the stove and the kettle. 

“Tell me over tea?”

“I swear you only keep me around for my tea,” Martin raised a brow, an expression of fondness on his face.

Sasha grinned, and pointed at him with her wooden spoon, “You’re missing the other reasons I keep you around for, who else would I bully for crocheting?”

“Just because you think knitting is better doesn't mean you can be rude to me. I might take away your tea privilege's.”

“You wouldn’t dare. I let you into my house and feed you my food!” 

Martin waves his hands in surrendered and laughs loudly, “Yeah yeah, I’m making it I’m making it.”

\--------

Martin had been going out on his tea run, walking barefoot as he had forgone shoes for this little expedition. The path was barren and and devoid of grass from how used it was by him, and probably other people though he hadn’t met any thus far. He was humming to himself when someone literally crashed into him from above. 

A croak of alarm came from his throat, as the unknown flying fairy tried to regain their balance on him, while also crushing his poor chest with their knees. 

“Oh my goodness I am so sorry, oh you’re kinda cute, hello.” It is an overactive butterfly, Martin thinks. Oh that is a butterfly alright, but a human looking one now, transformed from its natural state. 

He had big beautiful red and black wings, fluttering and still trying to recalibrate over their fall from what seemed a grievous height. He blinked big red eyes down at Martin and waved. 

“Sorry about that again.”

“Uh. It’s no issue? Not really anything you could have avoided I think.” Martin said but then pointed to where the butterflies knees where digging into his stomach, “Though I do wish you’d get off me now.”

The butterfly bounced off, floating a bit in the air, propelled by the delicate yet strong wings, and he smiled wide with his teeth, stained slightly by what looked to be blackberry in the most charming way possible. Martin sat up, catching his breath before standing up and dusting himself off. The dirt flung off in little specks in the sunlight, and Martin looked back up at the other fairy. 

“Where are my manners, I fling myself onto you and I don’t even know your name handsome stranger!” The butterfly has a bright personality, and he holds out his hand for a shake, “I’m Tim, Butterfly Fairy if you haven't guessed.”

Martin took his hand and realized this Tim had quite a strong grip, “I’m Martin, Frog Fairy.”

“I think I could tell when you croaked loud as a bullfrog when I crash landed.” Tim joked, and Martin laughed again. 

The frog hummed before his brow scrunched up in curiosity, “If you don’t mind my asking, why exactly where you up in the sky and then falling like a shooting star?”

“Ooh shooting star, I’ll keep that one in the books. But uh, I was trying to do a flying routine, got my foot stuck on a branch and fwoosh, down I went.” He mimicked the falling motions with his hands. “What brings you to this neck of the woods?”

“I live near the lake, going on an errand actually.” He said pleasantly and Tim looked a bit surprised. 

“I thought we would have met before then, I live just a few trees down near the lake. We’ve been secret neighbors.”

“Oh well nice to meet you neighbor.” Martin smiled, laughing a bit. 

Tim bowed as low as he could without being doubled over, overdramatic as Martin think’s a butterfly should be, “Good afternoon my neighbor.”

“Well if you ever want to stop by for tea, I live on the lilypad by the bank.” 

He nods, “The one that looks flatter than a river stone until you look at it closer?”

“That very one.” Martin realizes he was late for his pickup of tea leaves and looked distraught, and Tim took a hint.

“It seems I’ve kept you too long, get ye going frog prince.” Tim grinned, and Martin smiled thankfully. 

“It was nice to meet you Tim!” And he hopped off to his pickup. 

\-------

Tim fellow back to his tree, and knocked on the door as he opened it, “Jonny boy I’m hooome!”

“Shut up Tim.” Jon said, as he looked up from his book. It was one that he had stolen from a library and had wrote on a tinier version for his small mothy self could read. One of his four arms was holding a mug of terribly made tea, two of them interacting with the book, and the the other was tapping on the table, a nervous habit he kept. 

Being the eccentric he was, Tim simply rolled his eyes and drastically threw himself on the loveseat, a slightly worn one that Jon had patched up several times with worm green and beige patches. He liked this seat though, no matter how messy it seemed. Though might take the cushions out for a wash tomorrow. 

“You have a twig up your ass Sims. Come on I brought home bread and cheese for my favorite moth friend.” 

Jon looked up, and adjusted his glasses - frail things made of steel jewelry wire and clear sea-glass, how they worked was a wonder, and probably a bit of magic, -- “Trying to win my favor with food again? I am in the middle of something.”

“You’ve read that one before and I know you’re itching for something not boring to doooo. Also I met a very handsome frog today!” There was a sparkled in his eyes, and that flare of annoyance Jon felt withered away into routine fondness. 

Finally relenting he sets the hand bound book down, leaving a leaf fragment as a bookmark even though they both know he wont reread a book unless desperate, “Do I need to worry about losing my housemate to a ‘handsome frog’?” 

The air quotes from the three hands that were not occupied by a mug of tea made Tim laugh, “No no, not my type but he might be yours.”

“Oh my lord Tim don’t try this again.” Jon set don his tea mug, if only to ready himself to smack his friend. The butterfly laughed, and stuck his tongue out in jest. 

“Someone’s gotta try it, one day I’ll be swept off my feet by a beautiful fairy woman and leave you alone in this old place. You might wither away and die if someone doesn’t make you eat.” Tim’s dramatics always got higher it seemed, and the furrow between Jon’s brows only grew, even as the scowl looked like it was breaking into a small smile. 

Tim wages his fingers and Jon rolls his eyes again, something he seemed very adept at after moving in with his friend, “Oh yes, tell me when the woman of your dream comes so I can stock up. Also clean your teeth, you’ve got blackberry in them.”

“Ah damn, it seems my stained teeth will forever mark me as a loveless fool, unable to wed!” This time when he leans on Jon, who pushes him slightly, but not mean-spirited. 

Jon finally catches up to the idea of something new and begrudgingly asks, “Now tell me about who you met today.”

“Oooooh you’re interested!” Tim goads, and when Jon is about to get defensive he sticks his hands up and laughs, fluttering his wings a bit, “Kidding kidding! Anyway I crash landed into this bloke and found out that we had neighbors!”

“I’m going to ask for more information Tim.” Jon tapped his foot impatiently. 

“Ah ah ah, “ Tim puts his finger up in a stop right there motion, holding up the bread and cheese he brought back, “I am hungry, and you are going to have some of this food, theeen I’ll tell you.”

“Oh fine, let me get the plates.”

\---------

Sasha hummed and looked up from her spot, as she and Martin were respectively knitting and crocheting, when there was a knock at the door. Martin looked up confused, going to open the the slightly flimsy door. She had always told him to move in with her since his lilypad could use a little bit of work but he thinks it ‘had character’. 

It was a tall handsome butterfly, with nicely done black hair, holding and thimble of honey and milk. She almost asked if this guy was single before realizing it was a stranger with alcohol at Martin’s front step.

“Oh Tim! Hi, I almost forgot that you said you’d come by sometime. Come in!” Martin moved to make way for the butterfly and he smiled and then waved at her when he noticed her. 

The man, Tim she now remembers as the guy who crash landed into Martin one day before he came over, sat the honey down on the table, again a stolen miniature. 

“Tim this is my friend Sasha, Sasha this is our neighbor!” Martin waved to each of them respectively and Sasha almost snorted at how cheery he seemed. He was always so polite around new people but he could be a real sassy one when you were friends. Sasha decided to let this one go though, wouldn’t do well to unleash the inner bitch when he was making other friends. 

Sasha waved and he bowed dramatically, “hello there Sasha! Lovely to meet you you mushroom maiden.”

This caused a snort from her, and she nodded her toadstool capped head, “Hello there butterfly boy.”

“Oh hush you two, I’m making tea. Tim how do you take it?”

“Oh two sugars and a honey please.” he winked and Martin snorted real time, filling the kettle with clean water and putting it to heat up. Three slightly chipped ceramic mugs came from the wooden cabinet and he places them on the table. 

Martin turned, “Thank you for the gift, though I’m not sure how bringing honey on a first meeting fairs for the friendship.”

“Hey it’s to bring sweetness! If there wasn’t enough already with my presence.” Tim grinned, fluttering his wings before sitting down and watching as Sasha knits and Martin makes tea. It was a routine they followed often, Martin dancing steps around as he did thing as if the whole world belonged to him. Sasha humming a tune and looking fairly happy even with the intrusion on their usual routine. 

“Thank you for inviting me though, really. It gets a bit boring when its only your roommate and your brother for company.” He waggles his fingers, and Sasha finally sets down her knitting needles. 

Martin looks over as the kettle whistles and he starts pouring the water into the mugs, tea leaves floating around in swirls like a painting, “Are they the same person?”

Tim laughs, “No no, there's Danny, the brother- he's a monarch butterfly fairy, and Jon, my roommate- he's a flannel moth fairy.”

“Oh nice, I’m stuck with just Martin for company.”

Martin’s face scrunches up in a fond scowl, “Oh screw you I am lovely company.”

Sasha giggles, sticking out her tongue at him and Martin rolled his eyes, “Yeah sure, that's what you want others to believe.”

“Ooh he’s a secret undercover jerk?” Tim says, a playful look encompassing his face.

Martin laughs , “Not so undercover now, do you want your tea or should I withhold it for finding out our secrets?”

“Oh please have mercy and let me partake of the tea.” Tim flutters his wings and eyelashes as if he was a damsel in distress and Martin hands him the steaming mug with a growing look of enjoyment on his face. 

“To new friends then?” Sasha raises her mug. 

Tim and Martin clink their mugs to hers, and in tandem say, “To new friends!”

\-------

“Jon I’m bringing friends over!” Tim said loudly, and Jon looked up from his place on the loveseat. He adjusted the glasses that were slipped down his nose, and fixed Tim with a Look. 

“I thought we agreed to not bring people unless both of us agreed?” He didn’t look as irritated as usual so Tim took this as a go ahead for whatever excuse he was about to come up with, before Jon interrupted whatever thought he had cooking up, “Also if it’s your new not-flying friends you know how hard it is to get up here for those who can’t.”

Tim made a psssh noise, and fluttered his wings, “I’m gonna fly them up duh!”

“Really?” Jon raised an eyebrow, the fluff of his hair looking a bit puffier in confusion. 

“Mhm! They said I could and everything. Sooo no excuses, you have to meet them now.”

The Flannel Moth fairy sighs, setting down the notebook he had been reading through that was probably another stolen library book either transcripted or shrunken down, “And what if I conveniently leave before they get here?”

“You my good friend,” Tim pointing at him, before poking him in the fuzzy chest, “Are in dire need of other company.”

Before the scowl and defensiveness had chance to form Tim tapped his feet excitedly, “Oh they should be here soon, don’t you dare take off.”

“Fine fine.” He did not look happy about it though, and he curled up on the loveseat and opened the notebook again, before realizing that he did in fact have his own room to escape to. Before he could flutter his fuzzy self into the safe isolation of his room he heard the door get thrown open to see Tim about to drop a frog. He fumbled a bit but the curly haired frog fairy made it in with little to no injury, though he did hear a panicked croak before the door even opened. 

Tim took a deep breath, trying to catch his from the heavy lifting. The frog with impressively green freckles, hopped back up and asked if Tim was alright. 

Finally, getting his hands off his knees and standing up straight Tim gives a thumbs up, “All good, time to get Sasha!”

He fluttered down again, leaving the door open this time, and Jon and Martin had an awkward moment where they meet eyes. 

“Uh. You must be his roommate Jon right?” He asks tentatively, his hands were wringing together anxiously and Jon wanted nothing more than to escape any small talk. 

He nodded, “Martin I assume?”

“Yup that's me!” He smiles, and Jon feels a bit blinded by how happy the other man in just by the fact that Jon knew his name. Jon fluttered his wings a little, and Martin continued, “Uh, when did you and Tim meet?”

“Forever ago honestly.” And it had been, his big black eyes looked around and Martin couldn't tell if he was looking him, or anything else. Hard with the bug type fairies, especially the ones with weird eyes. He thought he would have black eyes too, but no he was the only frog fairy he knew of with the human looking eyes. 

Martin smiled, before finding something else to talk about, he was good at making up small talk as he went, “I like your glasses, did you make them?”

Jon nodded, and looked a bit proud explaining how he crafted them, and that lead them both talking about how to craft jewelry, and then continued. Before they knew it Tim has lugged Sasha up, and they almost didn't notice how engrossed in the conversation they were. 

A hollow thud sounded, and Sasha berating Tim for dropping her, and him giving the silliest excuses he could, that made her laugh rain through the room like a lovely mist. 

“Jon you didn't hide away in your hole! Come on I told Sasha about the books and she's interested.” 

\--------

The sound of water being displaced, and a small splash was enough to make Sasha and Jon look up from whatever they were doing. It was Martin of course, coming up to the surface, his face a little greener than usual and hair plastered to his head, dripping lake water down his face. He looked at them and waved. 

Sasha laughed, “What on earth where you doing down there?”

“If you have to know Ms. Nosy I was getting clay, I want to take up pottery.” Martin held up a small pot full of clay. He looked very proud of himself, and Jon blinked at it. 

“What do you plan on making?” He asked, leaning forward and putting his chin in two of his hands. The sweater he wore was a soft beige, almost matching the scruff around his neck, Sasha had made it for him with some soft silk yarn, right now she was reading a book Jon had transcribed. 

Martin hummed, pulling himself up out of the lake, shaking himself a bit, flinging small crystal beads of water around him onto the bank. The small metal table that Jon and Sasha sat at was a creation of Tim’s, he and his brother has taken up ‘welding’ one day and created the slightly unsteady chairs and table together, before abandoning the hobby.

“I’ll probably try a vase first? I’m not quite sure, I just know I want some more tea mugs that aren't ceramic or chipped beyond belief.”

Jon hummed, “I can teach you, I learned a few years ago with a friend, Georgie. I know how to make a few things.”

“That's an understatement Jonny boy!” Tim says, swooping down from the sky. He flutters down, not minding the croaks and squeaks and chirps of surprise that came with his random appearance, “All the mugs at our house were made by him. I guess he's not just good for reading.”

Jon rolled his eyes, “Yes yes, I made them.”

“Oh you would teach me?” Martin asked with a shy smile, and Jon felt like he was going to explode, why was the frog cute? 

He cleared his throat, “Yeah sure.”

The sun reflected beautifully off of Sasha’s white spots, her mushroom cap made a lovely sun hat keeping a circle of shade around her eyes and face as she read and watched her friends talk. Tim elbowed her as the other two looked away, and she leveled him with a bit of a fond glare. He grins and makes kissy noises quietly and she snorts, before trying to stop herself from laughing anymore. 

Light bounced off the water in rays, and everyone seemed to enjoy the day hanging out with their friends, drinking lemonade that Tim had brought. It warmed their skin in the most lovely way possible, and helped Martin dry off from his watery excursion. Jon fluttered his wings in the sunlight and yawned, reminding them that he was very much nocturnal. 

With one final stretch Jon stood up, and suddenly there was a large moth in is place as he fluttered back home. Sasha and Tim waved, before Sasha herself decided to go back to her log.


End file.
